Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Structural Biology and Analytical Chemistry Approaches for Characterizing C-Glycoside Metabolic Enzymes in Human Gut Microbiota
Published on: May 23, 2025
Inhibitory effects of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae constituents on human UDP-glucose dehydrogenase activity
Stefano Scoglio1, Valeria Lo Curcio2, Simona Catalani2
1a Nutritherapic Research Center , Urbino , Italy and.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro inhibitory effects of the edible microalga Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) on human UDP-α-d-glucose 6-dehydrogenase (UGDH) activity, a cytosolic enzyme involved both in tumor progression and in phytochemical bioavailability.
Methods:
Both the hydrophilic and ethanolic AFA extracts as well as the constitutive active principles phycocyanin (PC), phycocyanobilin (PCB) and mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) were tested.
Results:
Among AFA components, PCB presented the strongest inhibitory effect on UGDH activity, acting as a competitive inhibitor with respect to UDP-glucose and a non-competitive inhibitor with respect to NAD(+). In preliminary experiments, AFA PCB was also effective in reducing the colony formation capacity of PC-3 prostate cancer cells and FTC-133 thyroid cancer cells.
Conclusions:
Overall, these findings confirmed that AFA and its active principles are natural compounds with high biological activity. Further studies evaluating the effects of AFA PCB in reducing tumor cell growth and phytochemical glucuronidation are encouraged.
More Related Videos
12:19Uracil-DNA Glycosylase Assay by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry Analysis
Published on: April 22, 2022
10:24NMR-Based Activity Assays for Determining Compound Inhibition, IC50 Values, Artifactual Activity, and Whole-Cell Activity of Nucleoside Ribohydrolases
Published on: June 30, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: α-Glucosidase Inhibitors
Acarbose and miglitol are...
Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibition
Phase II Reactions: Glucuronidation